Vampire Hunter D: Cursed
by ravenjones
Summary: Third installment to the movies. D encounters a town that has been invaded by the long dead vampire Wilhelm, a cousin to Count Lee. Rated M for strong violence, language, and partial adult tendencies.
1. Chapter 1: Sheltered

Chapter 1: Sheltered

The day was unusually hot. Heat waves rose from the sands, blurring the landscape. There was no water for miles around. Not that it mattered to D. His hat shadowed his face and his heavy black cape covered his entire body and already black clothing with knee height boots, hands protected with black leather gloves. The cybernetic horse beneath him trudged on, unaware of the vicious temperature. Against his back lied his crescent-shaped sword in its sheath, both light and heavy in weight and completely ignored.

In the distance was a town unknown to D. The waves coming from the sands of the desert distorted the poor image of a tall building and many small other ones. "Good thing to. Another few days out here and you'd drop from sun-sickness," Left Hand said. D clenched his jaw but didn't respond. He wanted to sleep; that's all. "Yeah, no kidding. I'm tired of listening to your woes. Maybe you could think of something happy for once. Do you remember that little girl? Looked just like her mom -" his mouth was muffled by the closing of D's hand. He just didn't want to hear about it.

They reached the town and were greeted by the stares of the occupants. He stopped his horse in the middle of the square and dismounted. He stood for a moment, patting the neck of his steed and turning to look about. The gothic church was slumped on one side, sunk into the ground permanently. There were crosses on the doors of every building, some even having them staked out on top. D grimaced. "Well this is homely," Left Hand mumbled.

One brave soul decided to approach. "What are you doing here?" he asked. D ignored him as he grabbed the reins of his horse's bridle. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" He had stepped closer and began brandishing a gun he had hidden behind his back into D's face. D dropped his bag and turned to look at the man. His eyes stared coldly, making the intruder step back.

"One night," he said solemnly. "That's all I ask. Then I'm gone." The man with the gun stared back, eyes glancing down at the pentacle and back up.

"You've got to talk to the mayor." The response made D grimace once more and sigh. _Why does every town have a mayor?_ D reluctantly nodded and followed the man, leaving his horse in the middle of the small town. There were sparse trees and bare bushes around the area. A few fields were behind the buildings, showing little promise of crops this season. He knew there would be a catch to this whole thing. There had to be one.

The building they went to was near the gothic church, complete veranda and a man in white trousers and black suspenders over a white shirt. His straw hat completed the ensemble. As they closed in, the man in white walked forward. "What's this all about?" he called. D and his escort stopped in front of the mayor.

"This stranger here wants a night," the escort said. The mayor looked at D, studying him closely. D was beginning to get very uncomfortable under the watch of the man, face crinkled and teeth brown and cracked. It made his eye twitch, but his stance didn't change as he stared back at the mayor.

"You're a bounty hunter aren't you?" the mayor asked. D didn't answer. It was blatantly obvious that he was. "Uh huh, that's what I thought. Come inside; we need to talk." D followed the mayor indoors, the escort went back to the square when the mayor waved a hand, dismissing him.

The mayor walked to the other side of his oak desk and sat in the woven chair, propping his feet on the surface. D stood in front of him and continued standing, ignoring the offer of the chair. "What is your name hunter? And your game?" The guards, so called, stood in the corners of the room, gripping their guns and shifting uneasily. D stayed silent, staring at the mayor. "Fine then, I will start. I am Dondur Foxworth, the mayor. I need you to kill a vampire." _Bingo,_ D thought. "Now it is your turn."

He looked at the guards. "I am D."

There was a collective fire-at-ready attitude passing between the guards as their weapons went into position. The mayor stared at the dhampir before him, knowing him for what he was. D stood motionless. He knew what his name meant. "Perfect," the mayor replied. D thought this guy was way to relaxed knowing what kind of monster he was. "I suppose I must give you a story then.

"My daughter, Rhea, was kidnapped by a master vampire…" D's mind tuned him out save for the important details. The master vampire, Wilhelm, a dear close cousin of Count Lee, decided to come to this town in search of a small snack and took the sixteen-year-old daughter of the mayor. It seemed like this was always the same story line that he has heard repeatedly over the years. The only problem was that Wilhelm had been staked through the heart over 700 years ago. There was no way that he could be resurrected. Except…

"…So how much will this cost me?" D had been half listening. He knew the burial place of Wilhelm like the back of his left hand. It was some six hundred miles from the town, a good week's ride through deserts and rain forest. He clenched his jaw in thought. "Well vampire hunter?"

"With what I have to deal with, it is almost unspeakable of the amount and not worth my time." He began to turn and head for the door when the guards blocked the exit. Their guns were pointed at him, undoubtedly filled with silver bullets: not that it would stop him. They were only deadly when soaked with Holy water. And judging by the state of the church, there had not been religion held there for several, if not decades of years. "Your ammunition is a waste of time," he stated simply and began walking forward.

"Stop right there hunter," the mayor said from behind. The cocking of a shot gun clicked. D turned to face the man, head bowed slightly to cover his eyes. "We will have to kill you if you do not comply. Give me the amount. I will pay whatever it takes to get my daughter back." D did not answer. "Please," Foxworth's voice cracked with sorrow. "She's all I have in the world. Since her mother died last winter, Rhea is my only family. I need her returned to me. So if you please, give me the amount." D could not believe he was serious. But in the end, he really did have no choice.

"$20,000,000." The mayor winced. "But that's only half."

D knew the asking price was high for kidnappings, but this was Wilhelm, and he was no easy opponent. He figured that one out the last time he had encountered the vampire. "You can't ask that much! How rich do you think we are?" one of the guards blocking the doors burst.

"Not at all." D turned again and walked toward the door, stopping in front of them. "If you cannot pay it, then I will find a different town to stay in." He paused. "You're daughter has probably already been turned. There is no use looking for Wilhelm's snack." The guards did not move, waiting for a signal.

"All right. I'll pay it." Foxworth looked away from the hunter's back, eyes filled with tears.

"I need the down payment now, if you don't mind." The grip of guns changed slightly and fingers with tight on triggers. D looked over his shoulder at the mayor, waiting for a response.

"You'll get it by morning. Please, stay here for the night. I will point you in the direction he took that -"

"No need." D looked at the two guards in his way as they moved. He walked through the door way and back into the sunlight.

His horse was surrounded by curious children when he had returned to the square. There were too many, by D's count, considering the ratio of women to men. Many of them had to be siblings in one way or another. A few could even be the mayor's grandchildren. D didn't want to think about it as he grabbed the reins once more and led his horse to the mayor's stable. It was occupied by one other horse that looked worn down from much field work. Cybernetic horses were meant for so much better, in D's opinion.

The room he was given had a bed and a table, nothing more. He closed the door and shut the blinds of the only window. D removed his hat and set it on the table, then took off a glove so that he could rake his fingers through his long black hair. There was a sense of stillness in the room that he hadn't found in a long while. "You should sleep you know," Left Hand stated. "That way we can work toward that money you asked for. I don't know how you got so much D, but we will be rolling in it." D only grimaced and removed his boots and other glove, then stretched out upon the bed. He shut his eyes and fell into an uneasy sleep, marked by the enemies of his past and haunted by Wilhelm.


	2. Chapter 2: A Bloodening

Chapter 2: A Bloodening

He admitted that the young girl, Rhea, had been an odd choice. She was older than those of his usual preference, and a different gender at that, but her window was the only one that was open. Humans were much more perceptive of vampires now than they were the last he had risen; and now that their numbers were dwindling, it was harder to stay secretive. Wilhelm ran his tongue across the front of his teeth as he contemplated his next victim. There had already been five meals since his awakening a few weeks ago. The normal feeding pattern wasn't correct, but being dead for hundreds of years makes one hungry.

Rhea hung by her wrists from shackles against the far wall. Her dress had been removed; Wilhelm preferred to observe his meals naked. It made them that much more enticing. She was unconscious, breathing, and a pair of holes blemished her neck. His methods of killing his meal was a grueling process, requiring several days to complete. The older a victim was, the more blood there was to take. Younger meals were much more fresh and tasty, in his opinion.

She stirred. Her eyes fluttered as she raised her hanging head. Rhea looked about the room, not seeming to notice anything about her current status, save for a dull pain in her neck, shoulders, and wrists. The room was cold stone and smelled musty and mundane. There was a closed coffin on the floor next to an elaborate four-poster bed. The canopy and curtains were white sheers, allowing her to see through its translucent bodice to the object lying on the mattress. Rhea's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the figure.

Wilhelm stared into those huge blue eyes and grinned, careful not to show his fangs. The young girl tensed and twitched. Her eyes shot upward and a screech of fright erupted from her throat. She was bound at the wrists and naked as the day she was born. The realization made her cry out once more. Instant rage surged through her body as she began to pull against the restraints; her eyes searched for those of her captor. "Who are you?" she demanded. Wilhelm's smile widened, fangs gleaming in the low lamp light. "Who are you!" she screamed, body slapping against the cold stone as she writhed about. "Let me go you filth!" A frustrated growl slipped from her lips.

Then he was there by her side, fangs hovering over the perfect white flesh of her neck. He was so close that Rhea's pulse beat in his ears. She screeched in distress, freezing all motion, breath quickening with her pounding heart. Wilhelm growled low as he pulled away, lifting a hand to undo one of her shackles. Her cheeks turned pink as the back of his hand brushed her bare, erect nipple as he lowered his arm. Her right arm fell uselessly to her side, drained of blood and feeling. Wilhelm lifted the raw wrist to his lips and kissed the veins gently. She quivered. "Please…" she begged. He cared not for her pleas as his tongue slithered out from between his lips and licked the plump veins.

His eyes glowed with a hunger and ferocity many have seen before death. He looked up at the darling face of his victim and grinned wickedly. "You would make a great puppet," he whispered aloud. _A wondrous slave to my needs_, he whispered in her mind. Rhea whimpered as she looked away, her neck exposed. Wilhelm fought back the urge to drain her of her life force right then and there. But it was the thought of a new plan that unfurled in his mind, stopping him from taking such action. He wished that just for once he didn't have to listen to every nagging thought his mind created. This one, though, would suffice in capturing his real target.

Without another thought he bit savagely into the girl's wrist and began to drink. A small scream of surprise escaped Rhea before she began to go limp. She became unconscious once more and Wilhelm stopped. His teeth gleamed crimson in the low lamp light as he grinned at his pawn. He placed her wrist back in the shackle and stepped back, wiping the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief. "Such a burden," he began quietly, "for you to bear. I almost feel remorse for you. But know this, little birdie," he stepped closer so that his mouth was next to her ear. "I will spill your blood in front of that imbecile of a vampire hunter. Your blood on his hands will show his failure to save you. Then, I will kill him."

He stepped away and returned to his coffin. The lid closed silently above him, but he did not sleep. Wilhelm lied on the silk and down linens of his coffin, caught in deep thought. _I will kill him_, he mused. _Just like he had succeeded in killing me_. The last time Wilhelm had risen, D was young and vigilant. He had no method, but had a good eye on his own back. D had always walked alone and had left his mother many years before. His horse was his only companion. When Wilhelm had met him in battle after killing an entire city's worth of children, he had noted that D was mature beyond his years and deserved nothing more than a taste of his own medicine.

Wilhelm had escaped this battle easily and had returned to his home. He slept in his coffin with a dead, naked boy child wrapped in his arms. He was caught in many dreams of pleasure and lust. He specialized in the giving of this cruel pleasure for the children he killed had loved him first for his touch. Wilhelm did not even hear the coffin lid lift. He did not see D hovering over him with a crude stake in his bandaged hand and a carpenter's hammer in the other. The last thing Wilhelm recalled was waking to that stake buried deep in his heart and screeching at the sight of D. The boy had his own cruel smile as he drove the stake deeper. The method had been dead for years but always seemed to work nonetheless.

He bled to death in his coffin; the blood seeped into the linens and through the black wood to pool on the stone floor. It ran down the creases and through cracks. It spilled down the walls of lower levels and into the dirt, never to be recaptured.

A grimace crossed Wilhelm's lips as he stared at the lid of his coffin. It was his, the same one he had been murdered in. The linens were replaced, but the wood grain forever etched the falling of his reign. His cousin had taken his place and his home. But when Wilhelm had awakened this time, his home was rubble, destroyed by the one called D. So he moved to new abandoned castle. He had never known who lived in this one, but it had been a vampire that last occupied its walls. The evidence showed in the many skeletons of humans and vampires alike.

The thought that another of his brethren had died, more than likely by the hand of D, saddened him slightly. It was the curse of a vampire to be both powerful and vulnerable to attack in the hours of day. Wilhelm growled at himself for feeling pity. _He should have been stronger if he wanted to live. It was not I that turned his bones to dust but his own stupidity that did so. He concealed his own fate and has nothing to do with the plans I now conceive_. His reasoning calmed his anger some and he smiled. D was coming for him. And Wilhelm was ready to return the favor D had dealt him so many centuries ago.


End file.
